Books For Groups

Eremos Books for Groups is a popular way for Eremos members and their friends to come together and explore issues of life and faith in an atmosphere which encourages the sharing of ideas. Over thirty different courses are offered on a hiring basis, each consisting of multiple copies of the book under discussion and supplementary materials. Many of them are listed below. Click here to access a pdf download of the brochure with all the titles.

Study No. 65

The Map of Love

This is a beautifully crafted story of two families and two romances grounded in historical fact and current realities. The settings are Egypt and the USA, the stories are of the personal and the political blended in a captivating work of fiction.

The Song of the Seed

Moving through this course will encourage a search for the sacred in personal and group life. Individual and group guided retreats take you through three stages of spiritual reflection: "bending " - recognising that God is present in all of life; "mending" - healing from life's wounds; and "tending" - making full use of our gifts and talents.

Forgiveness and Other Acts of Love

This study is recommended for those interested in a spiritual journey that moves beyond 'traditional Christianity'. Stephanie Dowrick explores the meanings of terms we use so readily, like 'courage', 'tolerance', forgiveness'. She refers us to both contemporary and ancient writings that include, but are not exclusive to, the Bible.

Amazing Grace

This is a study of the spiritual themes found in a series of titles by the same author. The study materials are written so that at each session discussion can focus on a question or insight visited. In this way the heritage of this remarkable writer can be more fully explored. We join her in her exploration of the nature of faith.

The God We Never Knew

Author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time and Heart of Christianity, Borg reveals how to embrace a view of God that is fully compatible with good science, critical thinking and religious pluralism.

At Table with Luke

How was Luke's Gospel first read or heard? What ways of living in the world does it reveal? Imaginary letters from Theosophilus back to Luke disclose how this Gospel might have been understood by merchants, traders and business people of the 1st century. The studies enter into the world in which Jesus lived and highlight major themes using the "sermon in Nazareth" as a springboard for considering the mission of Jesus and the nature of discipleship.

Jesus - A Revolutionary Biography

Crossan sets out to bring us new insights into what we can know about Jesus by researching cross cultural anthropology, Greco-Roman history and literary text. The challenge then is to find Jesus' relevance for 21st century people of faith. Includes an Eremos audio tape of Crossan: Jesus and the Passion for Justice.

An Authentic Life

In this thoughtful weave of Caroline Jones' own story and experiences recounted by people featured in the ABC radio program The Search for Meaning, we are invited to reflect on our own story; to make a deeper discovery of our inner resources; to find hope in the face of change and suffering; and to live an authentic life guided by integrity and purpose.

The Heart of Christianity

Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, explores the question of how we can be passionate believers in today's world. He shows that terms such as "born again" have real meaning; that the "Kingdom of God" is not a bulwark against secularism but is a means of transforming society into a world that values justice and love; and that the Christian life is essentially about opening one's heart to God and to others.

The Environment and Christian Faith

This book introduces the reader to the rapidly developing discipline of ecotheology which brings together a quest for religious understanding and the study of the environment. The threat to our environment posed by present and past ecological irresponsibility preoccupies increasing numbers of people in our community. In Australia land clearance, woodchipping, salinity and threats to our fauna are all problems facing us. Is there a theological dimension to the ecological crisis? What is the church's stance? This lucidly written and accessible book gives an excellent introduction to various aspects of ecotheology.

The Spiral Staircase

By the author of The Battle for God. Her story is fraught with illness, anxiety and spiritual adventure, as well as the solace of a few extraordinary friends, culminating in a career focused on the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Ann Wroe in The Tablet April 2004 wrote ‘... her neutral, deeply perceptive position among the world's clashing faiths is what makes her such a precious resource...' This book grapples with the issue of how we can be religious in the contemporary world, and the place and possibility of belief in the 21st century.

Like Catching Water In a Net

Val Webb, theologian, writer, scientist, artist, encourages the reader to explore the myriad of symbols, metaphors and images that have been used to describe the Divine over centuries and across cultures. She then invites the reader to re-image the Divine in ways that are appropriate for our contemporary world and a multifaith society. A very appealing book for those for whom the old images of the Divine are no longer helpful or sustaining.

A New Christianity for a New World

This book calls Christians into a new and radical reformation. Spong looks beyond traditional boundaries to open new avenues and a new vocabulary into the holy, proposing a Christianity premised upon justice, love and the rise of a new humanity.

Studying the Gospels

The six chapters cover the setting in Jesus' time, the growth and development of New Testament studies, the Gospel stories, a portrait of Jesus, the passion and resurrection narratives, and the creeds of the church. Exercises throughout the book assist group discussion.

Stepping Out with the Sacred: Human Attempts to Engage the Divine

Today, our doctor may be Muslim, our lawyer Jewish and our best friend Buddhist, a plurality multiplied by global travel and politics. This companion book to Like Catching Water in a Net:Human Attempts to Describe the Divine, describes how humans have engaged the Divine across religions and centuries, through rituals, art.v

In Heaven as on Earth: A Vision of the Afterlife - a novel by the author of The Road Less Travelled

Author: M. Scott Peck | 8-10 sessions | (10 copies)

This novel can be read in several ways. It is a stirring work of imagination - a novel that offers a fascinating view of what the afterlife may bring. It is also a profound book about the self - in which we come to see that Dr Peck's vision of how to thrive in the afterlife can teach us important things about living our own lives here on Earth.

The Quiet Revolution

An investigation of the interfaith movement - includes interviews with many of the leading interfaith thinkers and activists, who recognise the need for a global interfaith in a world increasingly fragmented through politics and religion.